Health Care Reform and The AntiChrist

The Teabaggers (and Fox) are losing their shit over the passage of healthcare reform. These are people who are afraid of their own shadows and who think, if they try hard enough to forestall change, any change, that life will be just like they remember it being... in 1787.

You'd think, from the reactions, that we'd just nationalized healthcare and jacked up income taxes to 70% of gross across the board to finance it -- like we were Sweden or something.

But what really re-fries my beans about the reaction from the right is this:

For decades they accused the Democrats of being the party of Tax and Spend.

And their solution, under Ronald Reagan (does anybody remember "Voodoo Economics"?), was to Borrow and Spend instead.

So that rather than taking money out of your pockets today to finance all their shit, they decided to take the money out of our grandchildren's pockets instead.

THEY are the reason the national debt now runs into the many trillions. Not the Democrats.

Am I the only person who remembers this?

Apparently I am.

I am *for* healthcare reform in this country. We've just spent bajillions of dollars on two largely unfruitful and incredibly wasteful wars (we disbanded the Iraqi Army, only to turn around and spend 29 billion dollars training their police force ... composed primarily of former Iraqi Army men) and whine about extending healthcare to more of our neediest citizens.

And to the Right I would ask: WWJD?

I'd guess that he wouldn't lose his shit. That's for damned sure.

Hell in a Handbasket

BAM! The world has started falling apart.

1. Last August - diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Why didn't I cry with self-pity when told?
Started protracted on-line search for best surgical solution
Settled on Dr. David Samadi - Robotic Institute - Mt. Sinai Hospital New York

2. Robotic Prostectomy - October 14, 2009.
Two follow-up visits to date. Both blood tests indicate PSA < 0.01%
Why didn't I cry with joy at the result?

3. January 25, 2010 - My dearest English friend dies peacefully in his sleep. Age 80.
Why didn't I cry at the loss?

4. March 2, 2010 - Surgery to repair hernia. Out-patient (yaaayyyy!). Home that evening.

5. March 3, 2010 - Phone call from a friend in California. Another friend died of pulmonary
embolism as a direct result of having had Lap-Band surgery the previous week.

WHY DIDN'T I CRY!??

6. Excruciating pain from surgery. Gingerly take a prescribed painkiller. Immediately blocks me up. More pain until Thursday when I'm finally able to "move."

WHY DIDN'T I CRY?

7. A phone call on Friday, March 5th from yet another friend in NYC. After nearly 30 years of devoted service at a broadcast network, he was informed that, as of May 5, his services will no longer be required. He's contemplating moving back home to the midwest. He and I were college roommates, fer Chrissakes! I've never contemplated life without him in it, and him in New York.

AND WHY AM I NOT CRYING??!!!

8. Monday, March 8th - my 12th sobriety anniversary. I should be all cured by now.

AND STILL, I CAN'T CRY.

9. I called my old co-dependency therapist and made an appointment to see her this coming Sunday morning (there's something very calming about having a therapy session on Sunday morning).

I want to know why, after all these years of "recovery", I'm not able to cry over anything.

My 12-Step sponsor says that I'm a sexual anorexic. I say that I'm an emotional anorexic, still incapable of forming any meaningful attachments, even with myself.

We'll see what the therapist has to say.

Watch. I'll be in there for five minutes when I start blubbering like a baby.

I hope.